Distinguished Members

An ASCE Distinguished Member is a person who has attained acknowledged eminence in some branch of engineering or in its related arts and sciences. This is the highest honor given to members. There are now 577 individuals who have been elected to this distinguished grade of membership since 1853. Of the 192 living Distinguished Members, only three are from Washington.

In May 2008, Jon Magnusson was elected to be a Distinguished Member of ASCE. Jon Magnusson is the Chairman/CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, a 140-person structural and civil engineering firm in Seattle that has completed work in 45 states and 36 countries. Jon received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and then his master’s in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He was named CEO in 1988 and Chairman of the Board in 1998.

Jon has been the principal structural engineer for over $1.5 billion worth of construction during the period 2003-8. He has been responsible for the structure of many Seattle landmarks including the Experience Music Project, KeyArena, Benaroya Hall, Safeco Field, Seahawks Stadium, and the Seattle Central Library.